Consuming 5-6 tablets a day is likely to cause harm, health experts
Posted on: 04/Oct/2014 3:25:44 PM
It is a more common scene to find elders to have a box full of tablets and tossing them out at regular time intervals every day. Each of those will be for diabetes, cholesterol, arthritis, and many other health ailments. No wonder even if they reach at their medicine box for five to six times a day. It has become a very casual happening to consume at least five or six tablets a day!
But here is an alert from health experts. They call the practice of consuming too many tablets as Polyphramacy. According to health experts, it is risky to consume multiple tablets as it may lead to negative health outcomes which may even lead to impaired cognition or increased risk of falls.
There was a recent awareness program on the overuse of life-saving antibiotics. The program was conducted by Indian Medical Association in a nationwide manner. Doctors aim at reducing the practice of polypharmacy which has its own harmful effects.
Speaking to Geriatrician Dr V.S. Natarajan, it is found that 40% patients consume 6 pills every day. It all starts with one medicine. When a patient consumes a medicine for a prolonged period, it starts creating its side effects. And patients seek for a remedy for these side effects and start taking up more pills to get rid of them.
According to Dr Natarajan, consumption of more number of tablets start with the increase in number of specialists the patients consult with.
Dr M Balasubramanian, president of Indian Medical Association, Tamil Nadu says there is an increasing number of polyphamacy in the state. This is prone to give out several complications.
